Not a Monster Anymore (Double Crossed Book 2)

Chapter 14

(Dib's P.O.V)

---

Every entry has a title. I decide to start with those; I'll be here all day if I decide to translate the whole book. The topics have very simple titles. Hierarchy, anatomy, different jobs... None of which is what I'm looking for. I keep flipping through, and about fourteen pages in, I find what I'm looking for: Common Behaviors and Intuition.

After ten minutes of looking between the translation screen and the book, and writing the English down as I go, I read back what I found:

Irkens are very headstrong, stubborn even to the point of arguing with superiors to get what they want. They will try nearly impossible things to achieve their goals, and their determination sets them apart from many other species. They will kill for their objective if they deem it necessary.

Well, that seems pretty straight forward. Zim has already killed someone. But based on what this says, he'll keep killing until he gets what he wants. If there's no way to stop him, then...

---

Gaz opens the door, one eye open. "What do you want?" she asks.

"Do you know the code to the safe?" I stand on my toes and look over her shoulder.

"I can bust it open," she shrugs. "Why?"

"I need to bail out Zim." Gaz raises an eyebrow at this. "It's a long story. Just... I need the money."

Gaz steps inside, waving me in, and walks down to the basement where the safe is. She grabs a bobby pin out of seemingly nowhere and leans down on one of her knees, jamming the pin into the lock. It's a bit strange seeing her break into a safe in our own house, but I don't have much time to think about it, because after only a few seconds, the door pops open.

"There," Gaz says, straightening and walking upstairs. "If there's any extra just... I don't know, fuck it. Nevermind."

I fight back a laugh and reach into the safe. I know that Membrane was rich, but seeing all the money in the safe is a bit alienating, and this isn't even close to all of it. After grabbing probably way more than I need- I'm being precautious, okay?- I close the door, assuming that Gaz can just pick the lock again if she needs to.

"Try not to get killed," Gaz says when I open the front door.

---

(Zim's P.O.V)

Ten minutes to dinner. Ten minutes and I'll be out of this damn cell again. Sean seems to know this too, because he keeps glancing out the window- his way of telling time- and is barely paying attention to the book open in his lap. It confuses me that he claims the food to be terrible, yet thrives on counting the seconds to the next meal.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when a guard opens my cell. I look up, puzzled. Usually my cell is one of the last to be opened, and there's still seven minutes to dinner. The guard, however, tugs me out of the cell. Sean casts me a look that says, 'what did you do this time?' and before I know it I'm out in the hallways.

"Where are we going?" I ask. "I haven't done anything."

"That's right," the guard grunts. "Someone came and bailed you out."

Bailed me out? So I get to leave this place? It's about time. I could not have dealt with twenty-five years of this. As well, the only person I can think of who would bail me out is Dib. I finally get to see him again. I'm dropped off in what looks like a waiting area or lobby. A lady at a desk looks up at me.

"Zim?" she asks, blatant disinterest in her voice. I nod slowly. She pushes my suit onto the counter. "This is yours."

I sigh, grabbing the suit from the desk. I'm glad I didn't have anything else on my person when I was arrested; it would have been annoying to carry it all.

Dib is outside waiting for me, arms crossed. I walk up to him. "Dib, oh god, I missed you so-"

"No. Shut up," Dib snaps, turning his head to look at me. "I bailed you out so you wouldn't hurt anyone in there." He nods his head towards the detention center. "Most of them are just kids who didn't know what they were doing. I bailed you out to save them from what you did to me and Keef."

I stand, silenced by surprise. An image of the boy who's arm I'd sliced open flashes through my mind. I'm not a monster... I... It wasn't my fault. I can't control it. I've tried... I can't control it. Tears spring to my eyes.

With a hard gaze, Dib turns his whole body to face me. "You're dangerous to everyone, Zim. Be glad I got you out at all."

"D-Dib, I didn't-"

"No, Zim. You lied. You're a goddamn liar. You tried to convince me that it was no big deal, and I trusted you. I trusted you because I just wanted things to be normal." Then he sighs. "Let's go," he says hotly, grabbing my hand and tugging me away from the detention center. I want to wipe away the tears in my eyes, but with Dib holding one of my hands, and the other carrying my suit, all I can do is let them fall.

---

When we get home, Gir hops out of nowhere, clutching Dib's leg. "Welcome home," he chirps, nuzzling his cheek into Dib's jeans.

"Not... not right now, Gir," Dib says, and Gir lets go of him. "I'm going to my room." Then he turns to me and with a hard gaze, says, "I expect you to stay in the house." While he says this, he glances at Gir, making sure he understands. Gir nods. He's always listened to Dib more than me, and no doubt he's subtly being given the job of keeping me here, in case I try to leave. But I want quite the opposite, really. As soon as Dib has disappeared down the chute, I sprawl out on the couch, flicking it on, hoping to keep my mind off of everything that just happened. Gir waddles up and sits on a spot on the couch that I don't reach to, grabbing at the remote. I give it to him.

I finally pop out my contacts and throw them on the ground, followed quickly by my wig. I wiggle my antennae, stretching them out for the first time in over a month. Again, I couldn't have handled twenty-five years wearing that thing. My eyes sting from the contacts, and I squeeze them shut to try and relieve the pain. After only a few minutes, everything catches up with me and I fall asleep.